Bird flu epidemic and inflation skyrocket egg prices in the US

According to the US Department of Agriculture's food price outlook report, millions of chickens were affected by the avian flu epidemic that started in February last year. While nearly 60 million birds were culled in 47 states, the number of laying hens affected by the epidemic exceeded 43 million. U.S. egg stocks were down 29 percent last month from early 2022, as egg supply fell sharply due to recurrent outbreaks. Wholesale egg prices rose as the limited supply combined with increased demand during the holiday season, which spanned the months of November-December. Also, lower-than-normal egg stocks drove prices to record highs during the Christmas week. During the Christmas week in December last year, shell egg prices increased by 267 percent compared to the beginning of 2022 and by 210 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The price of a dozen wholesale shell eggs stood at around $1.5 at the beginning of last year, but rose above $5 at the end of the year. ...